The engineer racing to run the world’s most dangerous algorithmTue, 25 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Craig Gidney is largely unknown outside of quantum computing, but his pioneering work on quantum circuits could have huge consequences for us all, ushering in both useful quantum computers, and the end of digital privacy and security as we know it | |
Will muscle-boosting meds be the next big thing after GLP-1 drugs?Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 A number of drugs designed to prevent muscle loss and boost muscle growth are being tested in clinical trials. Columnist Michael Le Page looks at whether building and maintaining muscles is about to get a whole lot easier | |
Lack of sleep may cause anxiety by making us less adaptable to threatsMon, 24 Aug 2026 15:30:00 +0000 People who were deprived of sleep overnight didn't seem to adapt to being in a potentially threatening space, which may help explain the link between a lack of shuteye and anxiety | |
Why banishing irrational numbers could trigger a revolution in quantum theoryMon, 24 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Irrational numbers have underpinned quantum mechanics for a century. Removing them could eliminate its strangest features and trigger the biggest upheaval in physics since quantum theory began | |
Risk of dementia could be halved with use of metforminMon, 24 Aug 2026 13:25:10 +0000 Taking metformin, a type 2 diabetes drug, has been linked to a lower risk of dementia over the following decades, but the association isn't conclusive | |
How much water do you really need to drink to keep your brain sharp?Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:14:38 +0000 Water is essential for good brain function, with a handful of convincing studies suggesting that dehydration could be slowing you down, cognitively speaking. Columnist Helen Thomson explores how much water we should be drinking to stay sharp | |
Dice discovered that solve decade-long mathematical problemMon, 24 Aug 2026 12:32:17 +0000 After years of searching, mathematicians have found dice that can allow five players to fairly decide who moves first in a board game, with a winner guaranteed from just a single roll | |
From back pain to cancer, how the interstitium could transform medicineMon, 24 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000 For centuries, we’ve ignored the interstitium, but research is now revealing that this body-wide network of fluid is instrumental to our health and points the way to new treatments | |
Plastic bottles can be turned into edible, vanilla-flavour cookiesMon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic pollution are created each year. One option may be to turn the pollution into food, but critics voice concerns | |
‘Off the charts’ El Niño is already the strongest since records beganFri, 21 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000 Renowned climate scientist James Hansen says the developing super El Niño has already "blown past" previous events with months to go before it peaks | |